News From ConAgra, July 2009:

ConAgra Mills introduces two new flour innovations

Taking cues from growing trends in gluten-free eating and consumers desire for more authentic, ethnic flavors, ConAgra Mills introduced two new flours at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting and Food Expo in Anaheim, Calif., earlier this month.

Gluten-free foods that look and taste like wheat products

Leveraging its portfolio of naturally gluten-free Ancient Grains, ConAgra Mills has developed a gluten-free, all-purpose multigrain flour under its Eagle Mills® brand.

The gluten-free market has seen an explosion of growth over the past several years, with sales of gluten-free food and beverages expected to reach $2.6 billion in 2012, up from $580 million in 2004. The Gluten Intolerance Group of North America (GIG) reported that roughly 15 million Americans are seeking gluten-free foods to cope with

celiac disease and other gluten sensitivities.

ConAgra Mills new flour represents a nutritional and quality breakthrough for manufacturers of gluten-free products, many of which contain refined flour or starch from rice, corn, potatoes and tapioca in their gluten-free baked goods, leaving them lacking in fiber, B vitamins and other important nutrients.

Eagle Mills All-Purpose Multigrain flour is an all-natural, 71-percent whole grain blend of amaranth, millet, quinoa, sorghum, brown rice, teff and tapioca starch. The gluten-free flour contains five of the six grains dubbed the super six, by Melinda Dennis, nutrition coordinator at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Celiac Center, for their high vitamin and fiber content. The proprietary blend was formulated to achieve optimal texture, flavor, appearance and functionality in a variety of popular, grain-based foods.

Tasting what matters

In addition to getting high marks for nutrition, the new Eagle Mills flour gives commercial bakers, food manufacturers and foodservice operators the ability to create gluten-free foods that actually look and taste great, a welcome relief for gluten-free consumers.

A March 2009 survey conducted by GIG and TastesLikeRealFood.com revealed that gluten-free shoppers are dissatisfied with the quality of gluten-free food available in retail stores, citing 71 percent of respondents agreeing that good-tasting gluten-free foods are hard to find, with 79 percent admitting theyve wasted a lot of money on gluten-free foods that didnt taste good.

Focus groups conducted by ConAgra Mills in June 2009 pitted the top two selling gluten-free breads against bread made with the new Eagle Mills gluten-free flour. The bread made with the new Eagle Mills flour was the hands-down favorite in flavor, texture and appearance a milestone for gluten-free consumers said Mike Veal, vice president of Marketing.

The new Eagle Mills gluten-free flour is truly a breakthrough for the gluten-free market in taste and nutrition, he said. Its versatility can be leveraged across a range of products, such as bread, tortillas, muffins, cereals, cookies, snacks and pasta. The RQI team did an outstanding job of creating a formula that optimized the unique properties of each of the Ancient Grains to deliver exceptional flavor, texture and baking performance. That was no easy task.